ARTICLES ABOUT PAWAR BY DATE - PAGE 3

MUMBAI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar tried to convince Lalit Modi to return to India and "face the law" during a meeting in London in May but the fugitive former IPL boss said he faced "threat to his life" if he came back. "I met Lalit Modi in London around mid-May this year and asked him to return to India to face the law. He said He was not worried about cases filed against him but was facing a security threat and expressed concern over the threat to his life. Earlier, I had been told by an official about security threat to Lalit Modi," Pawar told reporters today.

PUNE: Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu today had nice words for NCP president Sharad Pawar , saying he respected Pawar's "wisdom and experience". Asked to comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement during his visit to Baramati that he (Modi) meets the former union Agriculture minister every month, Naidu said "Pawar is an experienced man and I respect his wisdom as a minister. " Naidu, who was here to highlight achievements of the Modi government during one year of NDA rule, also said, "Pawar is rooted to the soil (jamin ke saath jude hai)"

NEW DELHI: Worried at cane arrears to farmers mounting to Rs 21,000 crore, NCP chief and former Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today led a delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that the Centre create sugar buffer stock to bail out cash-starved mills. The delegation, comprising MPs, representatives of the co-operative factories and the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), raised issues afflicting the sugar industry with the Prime Minister. "It is a matter of grave concern that the outstanding unpaid arrears of our sugarcane farmers for 2014-15 sugar seasons alone is over Rs 21,000 crore, the highest ever in the history of the Indian sugar sector," Pawar said in the representation made to the Prime Minister.

MUMBAI/RATNAGIRI: NCP President Sharad Pawar today strongly disapproved of "enthusiasm" shown by certain politicians in calling on Bollywood superstar Salman Khan at his residence after his conviction in the 2002 hit-and-run case. "After the Sessions Court verdict on Wednesday, there were some politicians who became overenthusiastic and visited Salman Khan at his residence. This was undesirable. "Why do politicians need to show interest in this (Khan) case when the courts have already passed their judgement?

RATNAGIRI: NCP President Sharad Pawar today questioned Shiv Sena's stand of opposing the Jaitapur atomic power project while being in alliance with BJP and once again hinted at the possibility of political realignment in Maharashtra. Talking to reporters at Dapoli near here in Ratnagiri district, Pawar indicated that all may not be well in the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance and the saffron allies may part ways. "The Shiv Sena has strong objections to the Jaitapur atomic power project though it is in power along with the BJP. It means the truth about Shiv Sena's real stand will come out in public soon.

MUMBAI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar today declined to comment on the claims that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim , one of the prime accused in 1993 Mumbai blasts, wanted to surrender. Pawar, who was the chief minister of Maharashtra in early 1990s, declined to comment when asked by reporters at Aurangabad about reports that Dawood had offered to surrender. Former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar in an interview to a national daily last week, was quoted as saying Dawood, labelled by the US as 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist', had got in touch with him and wanted to surrender, but the plan was shelved by the government.

MUMBAI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar suggested that Maharashtra politics may be heading for a political realignment with the alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena , that's in power in the state, breaking up before the 2017 Mumbai civic polls. "I have been told this by someone in the government itself," he said. He made the comments while speaking to journalists in Aurangabad. In the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, BJP has 122 members, 22 short of a majority, while Sena has 63. If Sena withdraws support, there could be a mid-term poll or NCP would have to support the government, either by being part of it or by supporting it from outside.

AURANGABAD: NCP president Sharad Pawar today termed the performance of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen in Aurangabad municipal corporation election as just a fluke, and said that parties like AIMIM do not last long. "Parties like AIMIM do not last long (electorally) and may be out of the (political) arena within a year or two," Pawar said responding to a query on the performance of the Hyderabad-based party in the civic polls held last month. Though the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance retained the civic body, the Assaduddin Owaisi-led party registered an impressive performance by winning 25 seats in its maiden outing.

NEW DELHI: In the light of NCP chief Sharad Pawar's comments on unity of those political forces that were earlier part of Congress, the party today noted that various outfits have collectively opposed the Narendra Modi government in Parliament on different occasions. Congress said that while the media knows the stand of NDA allies Shiv Sena and Akali dal on the land acquisition Bill, BJD, which is neither in NDA and nor a part of UPA, has declared that although it is not opposed to the proposed legislation, that does not mean it will vote for it. "I don't think it is proper to comment on an individual's comments," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said as he steered clear of reacting to Pawar's remarks.

MUMBAI: NCP President Sharad Pawar today said his party will not support the land ordinance in its present form as it does not favour removal of several crucial clauses and will vote against it in the Rajya Sabha. "I have spoken to a number of political parties who are opposed to the ordinance. The government may bulldoze it in the Lok Sabha based on its majority in the Lower House . But the picture will be different in the Rajya Sabha. The NCP will vote against the ordinance in the Upper House ," Pawar told reporters here.